I've seen plenty of threads on how to install door skins, but how do you save the one you're taking off? Everyone seems to suggest grinding the edge off to remove the lip, but I have to reuse the skin. It's for a Pinto so there are no available replacement skins, and it's the door frame I need to repair for the most part. The bottom edge of the frame started to rot and a little of the lip on the skin.

Is there a way I can peel the lip up to remove the skin?

Or am I going to have to cut it off? And if I have to cut it, how do I reattach it? Welding a new lip on seems like a pretty big amount of work, not to mention the possibility of warping the metal.

try to peel up the bottom and fix it without taking off the skin. I'd try to peel it back just on the bottom around where you'll be fixing it and have a look to see if it will be possible to fix it that way, if not then plan on the bigger repair. Seems like a
2x4 clamped to the top surface would help while peeling the flange up so the skin doesn't distort. You can also just cut away the flange and fabricate a piece that looks like the flange and reweld it back on after the door frame is fixed. I dunno... just shooting around idears.

If I don't remove it, I'll have to peel the skin back and distort it to be able to weld the inner frame. I figure I'll just deskin the door and have the frame sandblasted (then epoxy it) while I'm at it. I have a couple other spots to fix on the door skin which would be easier with it off. A redneck shoved bolts in the seam and ran weld over it to keep the doors shut for a circle track. The door I needed was the only straight panel on the car.

I can't get one tonight, but it seems easiest to remove the skin. I'll try to get one tomorrow when I'm at the shoip. It's mainly the bottom edge of the frame where it touches the skin, and if I weld it with the skin touching then the weld will penetrate to the skin.

I copied a door skin too years a go, and haven't seen it since I've moved twice. I forget where i saw it being used. I started with a steel block, I think about 1 X 1 by 2 in long, I cut a slot 3./4 deep length wise just wide enough to slip over a door edge . I rounded the edges by slipping the slot carefully over the back side of my 6 X 48 belt sander and carefully deburring the edges. I drilled a couple 1/2 in holes to intersect the slot. Then I cut 1/4 and 3/16 slots 90* to the long slot. The next part is to take a couple old screwdriver, that fits the short slot, sharpen the end then heat it up and bend it to 90*. You slip the tool over the door edge , then hook the screwdriver blade edge on the edge and pry back, that lifts the edge of the skin, work along the door to bring the edge up. That tool would work where the tile nippers wouldn't fit.

When I closed my bodyshop back in the late 80's I threw away a brand new drivers door for a pinto. Still kicking my butt. Really should have saved it.

Shame to have thrown it away because I'll guarantee there's someone out there who could use it. My driver's side door needs minimal work luckily, the right one on the car is rotted pretty bad however (with almost no rust on the surrounding body). This one is a lot cleaner than the one on the car.

Quote:

Originally Posted by timothale

I copied a door skin too years a go, and haven't seen it since I've moved twice. I forget where i saw it being used. I started with a steel block, I think about 1 X 1 by 2 in long, I cut a slot 3./4 deep length wise just wide enough to slip over a door edge . I rounded the edges by slipping the slot carefully over the back side of my 6 X 48 belt sander and carefully deburring the edges. I drilled a couple 1/2 in holes to intersect the slot. Then I cut 1/4 and 3/16 slots 90* to the long slot. The next part is to take a couple old screwdriver, that fits the short slot, sharpen the end then heat it up and bend it to 90*. You slip the tool over the door edge , then hook the screwdriver blade edge on the edge and pry back, that lifts the edge of the skin, work along the door to bring the edge up. That tool would work where the tile nippers wouldn't fit.

I'm having trouble trying to picture this, any chance you can take a photo of the tool? It sounds like it might be more suitable with the little amount of room I have.

that's totally a good candidate for a lower skin job or to just peel it back where needed. Peeling back the whole door is a lot of work. If you have a metal brake you're in business. the rest of the door inside is probably still good and if you see anything above the bottom of the door it's probably superficial and just on the surface due to gravity and water that will rest on the bottom of the door as opposed to settling on the side of the door above the bottom.

Or cut the sections of the shell out as I originally suggested. There is absolutely no reason to remove that skin if you can't get a replacement. Just cut the shell, remove it out from under the skin and fab a new piece and sand blast and repair the skin right at that spot only.

in other words, fabricate the flange on the backside of the door where needed?
The other day I did a lower door skin that I fabricated and on the other side I did just that...cut a chunk of the flange out, replaced a piece on the inners and welded a piece back to look like the flange. I also didn't cut it all the way at the bottom cause the metal was ok there so I didn't have to file it down or worry about it changing the gap to the rocker. Saved soo much time doing it that way. Good call.

Funny, I'm actually editing a video on the lower door skin and left out the footage of the repair of the flange being cut out on the other side but after this thread I will probably go back and insert it into the video.

in other words, fabricate the flange on the backside of the door where needed?
The other day I did a lower door skin that I fabricated and on the other side I did just that...cut a chunk of the flange out, replaced a piece on the inners and welded a piece back to look like the flange. I also didn't cut it all the way at the bottom cause the metal was ok there so I didn't have to file it down or worry about it changing the gap to the rocker. Saved soo much time doing it that way. Good call.

Funny, I'm actually editing a video on the lower door skin and left out the footage of the repair of the flange being cut out on the other side but after this thread I will probably go back and insert it into the video.

Yep that is what I am saying, cut that rusted area out with a cut off disc. Run the cut straight down thru the folded lip of the skin but not the outside. Lift the fold a little so you can pull the cut piece out, and to clean the inside of the area for repair. That lip may even need to be completely cut out, cut it out by running a cut along the edge just on the inside of the fold.

Fab the new inner piece, weld it in then cut a small strip of metal to replace the piece of the folded lip of the skin.

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